Tranquility
by ShesQueenie
Summary: Brief as it is, Talos and his daughter are able to find some solace in each other.


Talos couldn't remember the last time he'd felt so... _peaceful._ Even in the vast, dark depths of empty space, confined to a spaceship guided by new-found friend Carol Danvers, running from the war in desperate hopes of calling someplace home, Talos was calm. This wasn't the facade he usually put up to mask the rage and distress stirring within him, however, but instead, for the first time in a very long time, this was a truly peaceful moment.

Perhaps it was because finally, _finally,_ he and his people - his family - had an ounce of hope to cling to, to make them even the least bit optimistic for what the future held for them. Soon, he prayed, they would all be in a safe place, away from the vile Kree empire and able to live their lives without worry, fear or dread. A lot of the praise and the thanks had to go to Carol, and Talos made sure of that.

Or, perhaps this inner tranquility had more to do with the sleepy child nestled into him than his high hopes of better things.

Talos lovingly gazed down at his daughter, deciding that this indeed was what seemed to be calming his nerves. The sweet thing had come to him in the middle of sleeping hours while he sat watch up in the captain's chair, watching the stars as they whizzed by. Sleep did not come easy for her, according to her mother, and this proved to be a reoccurring issue. Likely a side effect of being a child trapped in the middle of a gruesome war with nowhere to go, nowhere to truly get away from it all... yet. Talos had barely noticed she'd entered the room until he felt the light touch of some fingers brush against his shoulder.

Honestly, he was surprised she had come to him at all. They weren't very acquainted. At least, not anymore. Not much longer after she came into the world, Talos assumed the weighty responsibility of protecting his people; a job that required him to be very absent for most of this child's life so far, unfortunately. Talos didn't regret what he had chosen to do for his kind, but he did regret the repercussions that came as a result. It tore apart his family. His daughter was very little, he could recall. Too little, in fact, to remember much of him. That's why she seemed so hesitant to greet him when he'd finally found them in the laboratory.

His little girl, the most precious thing in the entire universe, didn't recognize him. And, though he didn't show it, that was an _unbearably_ heartbreaking reality to face. But she had surprised him, proving he hadn't been completely expelled from her memory when she chose to draw close at the gentle urge from her mother. Some sort of faint connection was reestablished when he knelt down to show affection upon that reunion. Perhaps her brain could not recall the love and memories, but her heart knew. That's usually how things worked.

From then on, Talos began to work at slowly rebuilding his relationship with his daughter, and _oh_, how delighted he was to see that this wouldn't prove to be a difficult feat. She had taken to him quicker than he or Soren had thought she would. Though she did still have her moments in which she gravitated towards his wife, Talos really had nothing to complain about. Especially after tonight.

Staring out the window, Talos was zoned out, deep in thought. Until a small hand cupped the side of his head - _a sign of affection_ \- and pulled him back into reality. His dark purple hues met an identical (but very tired) pair of eyes gazing straight up at him. The youngling in his arms dared to smile bashfully, and Talos found himself unable to fight a smile of his own.

"What is it, my star?"

He inquiry received no answer, though. Not verbally. Instead, she shook her head, almost as if to say she had no complaints. That's how Talos chose to interpret it, at least. Through many, many unsuccessful attempts to fully converse with his daughter, the great Skrull leader finally had to come to terms with the fact that this was one small battle that he would not win. His daughter was adamant about speaking only on her own terms, when she wanted to. After everything that she'd seen and experience starting at such a young age, Talos supposed that this wasn't the worst way to deal with things... He and his wife would just have to adjust and accommodate this as best they could.

The child's eyelids were beginning to grow heavy, but before Talos could urge her to stop resisting, she suddenly made a move. Her tiny, slim fingers wrapped around one of his wrists and with all of the energy her tired body could muster, she heaved his arm over her. It took Talos a second to understand what she was trying to accomplish, but then it clicked. Shifting in his seat, he slouched and propped his legs up on the rail, making it easier and much more comfortable to lay. Once the girl was settled, Talos tightened his first arm around her and then draped his other arm over top in a _warm, protective embrace,_ just the way she wanted.

The smile of approval he'd received in response only made his own smile grow.

Few things could actually make Talos' heart flutter, but the feeling of his little one's head resting against his chest, to feel the gentle rise and fall of her frame with each breath definitely did the trick. He lightly caressed the back of her head, something he'd done frequently when was a babe, and sighed contentedly. Moments like this was what Talos would dream about when he was away from the ones he loved most; this is what his heart absolutely _ached_ for. Her love and trust.

This was it. This was the tranquility, this was the peace he'd been hoping to attain for so long... and even if it would only last for just a couple more hours, he was grateful. He was positive nothing could make him happier.

"_I love you._" whispered a small, scratchy voice.

Except that.


End file.
